Idomeni residents running out of sympathy for refugees

As the government mulls ways of peacefully clearing a makeshift refugee camp near the village of Idomeni, close to the border with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, residents in the broader area are running out of patience, with many planning protest action.

Residents of Idomeni are to meet on Wednesday to discuss their grievances and decide on a course of action. Last night, councilors of the Municipality of Paionia, to which Idomeni belongs, were set to discuss calls by many locals for protest rallies to demand the immediate closure of the camp.

Public opinion has soured in recent weeks following a series of acts of vandalism at local cemeteries which some locals have blamed on refugees while others suspect far-rightists trying to stir anti-migrant sentiment.

In the camp itself, the range of different ethnic origins is fueling tensions that often escalate into all-out brawls which have further unnerved locals.